Seven bodies were recovered and 96 people were rescued after a boat transporting illegal migrants capsized overnight, Gambia's defence ministry said on Thursday.
The vessel was allegedly carrying over 200 illegal migrants, the ministry said in a statement.
It added that 10 of the rescued illegal migrants were in critical condition and receiving urgent medical attention.
The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands, typically used by illegal African migrants trying to reach Spain, is one of the world's deadliest.
More than 46,000 illegal migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2024, a record, according to the European Union.
More than 10,000 died attempting the journey, a 58 per cent increase over 2023, according to the open borders activist group Caminando Fronteras.
At least 70 people were killed in August 2025 when a boat believed to have departed from Gambia carrying illegal migrants capsized. This was one of the deadliest accidents in recent years.
(Reporting by Pap Saine; Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet)
